Placebo - Molko's Scare Over Onstage Collapse

PLACEBO frontman BRIAN MOLKO has opened up about the virus he contracted while touring Asia this year (09) - insisting his onstage collapse left him fearing for his life.

The band cancelled their entire North American tour after the singer lost consciousness during a gig in Tokyo, Japan in August (09).

Molko was diagnosed with exhaustion and ordered to rest for six weeks - and now he's recovered, the singer has explained the "terrible" ordeal.

He says, "It was complete exhaustion. We had done seven or eight countries around Asia in two weeks without a day off so it was a combination of travelling, time zone hopping and exhaustion and I got a gastric bug that emptied me of all nutrients. That day I hadn't eaten anything because it was an early show. I had been on the loo (toilet) for a few days and I didn't have anything left in me. My body stopped and that was that. Working like a crazy man had caught up with me.

"I made it to the end of the first song and I was changing guitars when everything went black. I came to being carried off stage. It's been a bad year for singers. Morrissey collapsed as well. If you are a singer and there is an M in your name, watch out.

"To quote The Smiths and Morrissey, 'I could smile about it now but at the time it was terrible'. All of this stuff is part of the job really. It was quite scary. I was told to rest for six weeks so we put the American tour on hold. I spent September trying to get my strength back up."